Device for testing rail-bonds.



E. POLLARD', DE CD. M. M POLLARD. ADMINISTRATRIX.

DEVICE FOR TESTING RAIL BONDS.

I V 1 APPLICATION FILED JULY 2. I9'I2- 1,202,097. Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

. MTDRIVEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EFFENGHAM LAWRENCE POLLARD, DECEASED, LATE 0F DOBBS FERRY, NEW YORK, BY MARION M. POLLARD, ADMINISTRATRIX, 0F DOBBS FERRY, NEW YORK.

DEVICE FOR TESTING RAIL-BONDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

Application filed July 2, 191;. Serial No. 707,376.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 'EFFENGHAM LAWRENCE .POLLARD, deceased, late a citizen of the i useful Improvements in Devices for Testing Rail-Bonds, of which the following 'is a specification.

In modern railroad construction and equipment certain signaling devices are usually arranged which employ one or both of the rails as conductors and as the voltage of the generator must be. low for safety and economy the conductors must be retained in such condition as to offer a free and easy pathway for the current. Much care is taken to keep the conductors in good electrical condition and constant tests are made to assure that no false or unnecessary resistances are introduced into the circuit.

Periodical tests are usually made'and a comparison of these tests with well known standards determines the exact electrical condition of the conductors, and should these tests reveal unfavorable conditions repairs and improvements are at once made to restore the whole to the desirable operative condition. Usually these testsare made by the aid of manually supported and operated devices and such are slow and tedious'besides allowing for irregularities which although in themselves small in the aggregate produce results of doubtful accuracy.

My device is constructed to overcome these inaccuracies and to provide a means for transporting and supporting the recording and indicating means in a manner that will greatly expedite the work of testing rail bonds or any other part of the equipment.

As I have constructed mv device'particularly for the testing of bonds, I will describe The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 shows in side elevation the completed device. Fig. 2 is a sectional view partly in elevation, it shows the clamping means, its methodof operation and other parts adjacent thereto. Fig. 3 shows a sub-' stitutc contact member. Fig. 4 shows on a large scale certain parts alone.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in all the figures where they appear.

Referring to Fig. 1, at 1 and 2 I have shown two lengths of rail joined together by means of a fish-plate 3, and electrically secured by means of the rail-bond 4: all of these parts are of the usual construction, shape and size and require no lengthy description.

Mounted upon the rail 1, I have arranged a wheel 5 rotatable upon an axis 6 and .provided with a flange 7. This wheel is provided with a band 8 of insulating material arranged between the outer and inner rim for a purpose that shall appear later. Mounted upon the rail 2, I have arranged a wheel 9 similar in size and construction to the wheel 5,and I have connected these wheels together and in alinement by means of the bar 10. Pivotally mounted upon the bar 10 I have arrangeda plural-itv of blocks 11, and operable through these blocks is a contact maker comprising two foot members 13 each provided with a lug 14 and an insulating block 15. A standard 16 secured into the insulating block 15 receives the pivot 17 which supports the standard and the parts connected therewith. The upper end of each of these standards is bent inward as shown at 18. A spring 19, which is connected to each of the standards 16 normallv tends to hold the upper ends of these standards together.

'A cut-gear 20. rotatably mounted upon the shaft 21, is of peculiar shape being thin at one part and slowly increasing in thickness about its periphery so that a crosssection of the gear would be cone shape, an

each side face of the arranged a worm 23 mounted upon a shaft 24 and rotated by means of the hand Wheel 25. The purpose-of the hand wheel and worm is to rotate the cut-gear 20 causing it to operate the standards 16 and contact members 13.

So far I have described the block 11 and theparts operable therethrough and therewith. The parts operable through the block 12 are similar in all respects to those operable in the block 11 there being the same pair of standards 16, contact members 13, insulating blocks 15, and spring 19, and immediately above and operable with these parts I have arranged a cut-gear 20 and worm and hand wheel as before described.

The frame that I have designed to support this operative mechanism is constructed of pipe and pipe fittings and I have connected this frame work with the shafts 6, by means of angularly disposed short length of tubing 26 and 27. To support the bearing members for the shafts 24 I have arranged two pipe Ts 28 and 29, one adjacent to each end of the worm 23. Two short upwardly extending nipples connect these Ts 28 and 29 with an elbow 30 and a second T 31. A nipple 32 extends between the elbow 30 and the T 31, and a second nipple 33 connects together the Ts 31.

It is my intention to construct a four wheel vehicle, and it is my intention to have both sides of the vehicle of the same general shape, s1ze and construction, so to make my device complete I may extend additional length of piping from one side to another such as shown at 35, and I support a table or platform 36 upon the transverse tubes 35. Upon this table 36 the recording and indicating instruments will be mounted, and upon the side beams 10 and at mid-length of the beams I support a cabinet 37 which I may use for any purpose, but which I have arranged for the reception of a testing battery to supply current for the purpose of the test.

Upon the table 36, and adjacent to the instruments I arrange a contact maker which maybe a telegraphic key 38, which I will include in the electrical circuit for the purpose, that will appear later. The electrical circuit consists of wires of proper sizes arranged for the different requirements. I have in my experiments connected my device in two different ways, one to make a drop of potential test, and the second for a comparative resistance or bridge test, and as each of these test, for a direct resistance;

methods of testing requires difierent connections I have not shown the electrical circuit completed by the addition of the necessary wires.

From the description the operation of my device may appear'obvious but I will revertheless briefly outline the more important steps.

It is my intention that this apparatus shall. be light of construction so that it may be readily handled by two men who will place the device on the rails and advancing it until the pointer 40 is immediately over the space between the ends of two rails will turn the hand-wheels 25 rotating thecut-gears 20 and causing the standard 1.6 and parts secured thereto to drop in position over the rails. Further rotation of the hand-wheels will cause the wide part of the cut-gear 20 to spread the upper ends of the standards 16, thus forcing the foot piece 13 in intimate engagement with the rails 1 and 2. The key 38 may then be depressed completing the electrical circuit and after the deflections of the instruments have been observed and noted a reverse motion of the hand-wheels 25 will cause the cut-gears 20 to relieve the standards 16 so that the spring 19 may draw the upper ends of the standards together. A further revolution of the hand-wheels 25 will cause the recess 2201- the walls thereof to engage with the pin in the inturned part 18, and a still further revolution of the hand-wheel will cause the standard 16 to be lifted until the foot pieces 13 are out of engagement with the rail. The device may then be advancedto the next rail joint where the same operation takes place. These tests are continued for the desired extent and the reports or data thereon may then be treated in the ordinary manner.

Although I have described this device as constructed so as to be capable of testing both tracks at one time, it is obvious that it may be made one sided and reversed for the purpose of testing the other track.

Other modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of this invention.

Having carefully and fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device for testing rail bonds comprising a carriage, traction wheels supportingsaid carriage, bars arranged between said wheels, clamps pivotally supported upon said bars, and means as a recessed gear 20, a-worm 23 and a hand wheel 25 for engaging said clamps upon adjacent rails.

2'. A device for testing rail bonds comprising a carriage, a plurality of traction wheels in alinement for supporting said carriage,

a plurality of clamps in alinement and supported by said carriage and between said traction wheels a cut-gear the opposite faces of which are of varyingvthickness and arranged to operate each of said clamps and a worm and hand wheel for rotating each said gear to operate said clamps independently and means between said clamps for locating said clamps upon adjacent rails in ombination with a source of electric current supply and connections between said current supply said clamps and said instruments as herein specified and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at New Yorkcity, in the county and State of New York this 8 day of June, 15 1912.

' MARION M. POLLARD,

'Admz'm'stmtfim of said Efiengham- L. Pollard, deceased. Witnesses:

G. E. STERRI'I'IE, ARTHUR PHELPS MARK. 

